JP6418202B2 - Traveling device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a traveling device on which a user travels.

  In recent years, personal mobility has been in the spotlight. Personal mobility is often manufactured in a small size by giving priority to a small turn, and therefore there is a problem that stability at high speed is lacking. In addition to personal mobility, vehicles that can adjust the wheelbase length have been proposed from the viewpoint of enhancing stability during high-speed travel (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP-A-1-106717 JP 2005-231415 A

  Vehicles proposed so far with adjustable wheelbase length, when traveling at high speed, first extended the wheelbase length and then received acceleration instructions to travel at high speed. When shifting to low-speed traveling, the vehicle is once traveled at low speed after receiving an instruction to reduce the speed after first shortening the wheelbase length. Therefore, it is necessary for the passenger to continuously give the vehicle an instruction to extend / contract the wheelbase length and an instruction to increase / decrease the speed, which causes a problem that the driving operation becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a traveling device that achieves both good turning performance at low speed and stability at high speed without causing the user to perform complicated driving operations. It is to provide.

  A traveling device according to an aspect of the present invention is a traveling device that has at least front wheels and rear wheels with respect to the traveling direction and travels by a user, and includes a front wheel support member that rotatably supports the front wheels, A rear wheel support member that rotatably supports the wheel; an adjustment mechanism that adjusts a wheel base length of the front wheel and the rear wheel by changing a relative position of the front wheel support member and the rear wheel support member; The wheel base length adjusted by the adjustment mechanism and the speed of the traveling device achieved by driving the drive unit so that the speed increases as the wheel base length increases. Are associated with each other, and when one of the wheelbase length and the speed is changed by the user's operation, it is associated with the changed one value. The other is controlled such that the other of values.

  With such a configuration, the speed of the traveling device and the wheel base length are automatically adjusted to a preferable relationship with each other. Therefore, the user does not need to give an instruction for speed and an instruction for wheelbase length in two stages.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a traveling device that achieves both good turning performance during low-speed traveling and stability during high-speed traveling and does not force the user to perform complicated driving operations.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the traveling device according to the first embodiment when traveling at a low speed. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the traveling device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the traveling device of FIG. 1 when traveling at high speed. It is a control block diagram of the traveling apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a graph which shows the relationship between a rotation angle and target speed. It is a table which shows the relationship between the rotation angle of another example, and target speed. It is a flowchart which shows the process in driving | running | working. It is a side view outline figure at the time of low speed driving | running | working of the traveling apparatus which concerns on a 2nd Example. It is an upper surface general view of the traveling apparatus of FIG. FIG. 9 is a side view of the traveling device of FIG. 8 when traveling at high speed. It is a control block diagram of the traveling apparatus which concerns on a 2nd Example. It is a graph which shows the relationship between speed and wheelbase length. It is a flowchart which shows the process in driving | running | working. It is a side surface schematic diagram of the traveling apparatus which concerns on a 3rd Example. It is a figure which shows a mode that several traveling apparatuses of FIG. 14 are connected and towed. It is a graph which shows the relationship between a rotation angle and target speed. It is a side view outline of the traveling apparatus concerning a 4th example.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, all of the configurations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential as means for solving the problem.

  A first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view of the traveling device 100 according to the first embodiment during low-speed traveling, and FIG. 2 is a top view of the traveling device 100 in the state of FIG. 1 observed from above. In FIG. 2, the user 900 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 1 is omitted.

  The traveling device 100 is a kind of personal mobility, and is an electric moving vehicle that assumes that the user stands and gets on. The traveling device 100 includes one front wheel 101 and two rear wheels 102 (a right rear wheel 102a and a left rear wheel 102b) in the traveling direction. The front wheel 101 changes its direction when the user 900 operates the handle 115 and functions as a steered wheel. The right rear wheel 102a and the left rear wheel 102b are connected by an axle 103, and are driven by a motor and a speed reduction mechanism (not shown) to function as drive wheels. The traveling device 100 is a static stable vehicle that is grounded at three points by three wheels and that stands by itself even in a parking state where the user 900 is not on board.

  The front wheel 101 is rotatably supported by a front wheel support member 110. The front wheel support member 110 includes a front column 111 and a fork 112. The fork 112 is fixed to one end side of the front column 111 and rotatably supports the front wheel 101 with the front wheel 101 sandwiched from both sides. A handle 115 is fixed to the other end of the front column 111 so as to extend in the direction of the rotation axis of the front wheel 101. When the user 900 turns the handle 115, the front column 111 transmits the operation force to change the direction of the front wheel 101.

  The rear wheel 102 is rotatably supported by a rear wheel support member 120. The rear wheel support member 120 includes a rear column 121 and a main body 122. The main body 122 fixedly supports one end of the rear column 121, and rotatably supports the right rear wheel 102a and the left rear wheel 102b via the axle 103. The main body 122 also functions as a housing that houses the motor, the speed reduction mechanism, a battery that supplies power to the motor, and the like. On the upper surface of the main body 122, a step 141 for the user 900 to place his / her foot is provided.

The front wheel support member 110 and the rear wheel support member 120 are connected to each other through a turning joint 131 and a hinge joint 132. The swivel joint 131 is fixed at a position near the other end of the front column 111 constituting the front wheel support member 110 to which the handle 115 is fixed. Furthermore, pivot joint 131 is pivoted to the hinge joint 132, the extending direction parallel to the pivot axis _{T A} around the front pillar 111, to rotate relative to the hinge joint 132. The hinge joint 132 is pivotally connected to the other end of the rear column 121 constituting the rear wheel support member 120 on the side opposite to the one end supported by the main body 122, and is parallel to the extending direction of the axle 103. It rotates relative to the rear column 121 around the hinge axis _HA .

This structure, the user 900, when turning the handle 115, a front wheel supporting member 110 is changed the direction of the front wheel 101 to pivot the pivot axis T _A around against the rear wheel support member 120. Further, when the user 900 tilts the handle 115 forward with respect to the traveling direction, the front wheel support member 110 and the rear wheel support member 120 rotate relatively around the hinge axis _HA , and the front column 111 and the rear side The angle formed by the column 121 can be reduced. When the angle formed by the front column 111 and the rear column 121 decreases, the WB length, which is the distance between the wheel bases (WB) of the front wheel 101 and the rear wheel 102, decreases. Conversely, when the user 900 tilts the handle 115 rearward with respect to the traveling direction, the front wheel support member 110 and the rear wheel support member 120 rotate relatively around the hinge axis _HA , and the front column 111 and the rear The angle formed by the side columns 121 can be increased. As the angle formed by the front column 111 and the rear column 121 increases, the WB length increases.

An urging spring 133 is attached in the vicinity of the hinge joint 132. The biasing spring 133 exerts a biasing force around the hinge axis _{HA in} a rotational direction that reduces the angle formed by the front column 111 and the rear column 121. The biasing spring 133 is, for example, a torsion spring. When the user 900 does not touch the handle 115, the urging force of the urging spring 133 is changed so that the angle formed by the front column 111 and the rear column 121 becomes the minimum angle in the structure, while the user 900 It is set to such an extent that the handle 115 can be easily tilted backward with respect to the traveling direction. Therefore, the user 900 can adjust the angle formed by the front strut 111 and the rear strut 121 by changing at least one of the weight on the handle 115 and the weight on the step 141, and thus can adjust the WB length.

A rotation angle sensor 134 is attached in the vicinity of the hinge joint 132. The rotation angle sensor 134 outputs an angle formed by the front column 111 and the rear column 121 around the hinge axis _HA . The rotation angle sensor 134 is, for example, a rotary encoder. The output of the rotation angle sensor 134 is transmitted to a control unit described later.

  The traveling device 100 travels at a low speed if the WB length is short, and travels at a high speed if the WB length is long. FIG. 1 shows a state during low-speed traveling with a short WB length. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the traveling device 100 similar to that in FIG. 1, but shows a state during high-speed traveling with a long WB length.

As shown in the figure, the angle formed by the front column 111 and the rear column 121 is defined as a rotation angle θ, with the relative opening direction being positive. The minimum value (minimum angle) that the rotation angle θ can take is θ _MIN , and the maximum value (maximum angle) is θ _MAX . For example, θ _MIN = 10 degrees and θ _MAX = 80 degrees. In other words, the structural restriction member is provided so that the rotation angle θ falls within the range of θ _MIN and θ _MAX .

  The WB length has a one-to-one correspondence with the rotation angle θ and can be converted by a function of WB length = f (θ). Therefore, the WB length can be adjusted by changing the rotation angle θ. The traveling device 100 in the present embodiment accelerates when the user 900 increases the rotation angle θ, and decelerates when the user 900 decreases the rotation angle θ. That is, the target speed is associated with the rotation angle θ, and when the rotation angle θ changes, acceleration / deceleration is performed so that the target speed corresponding to the target speed is reached. In other words, the WB length and the target speed are associated with the rotation angle θ as a parameter, and when the user 900 adjusts the WB length, the target speed changes according to the WB length.

  As the rotation angle θ is reduced, the WB length is shortened, so that a small turn is advantageous. That is, it can move around in a narrow place. On the contrary, when the rotation angle θ is increased, the WB length is increased, so that the running stability, particularly the straight traveling performance is improved. That is, even if the vehicle travels at a high speed, it is difficult to receive a swing due to a step on the road surface. Further, since the speed and the WB length change in conjunction with each other, the WB length does not become long although the speed is low, and the movement can be performed with the minimum necessary projection area at the speed. That is, the area on the road surface required for the traveling device 100 to move is small, and no extra space is required. This is particularly effective when parked. Further, if the user 900 tilts the handle 115 back and forth, both the speed and the WB length can be changed in conjunction with each other, so that it is simple and easy as a driving operation.

  FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the traveling device 100. The control unit 200 is a CPU, for example, and is accommodated in the main body unit 122. The drive wheel unit 210 includes a drive circuit and a motor for driving the rear wheel 102 that is a drive wheel, and is accommodated in the main body 122. The control unit 200 controls the rotation of the rear wheel 102 by sending a drive signal to the drive wheel unit 210.

  The vehicle speed sensor 220 monitors the amount of rotation of the rear wheel 102 or the axle 103 and detects the speed of the traveling device 100. The vehicle speed sensor 220 transmits the detection result as a speed signal to the control unit 200 in response to a request from the control unit 200. The rotation angle sensor 134 detects the rotation angle θ as described above. The rotation angle sensor 134 transmits the detection result to the control unit 200 as a rotation angle signal in response to a request from the control unit 200.

  The load sensor 240 is, for example, a piezoelectric film that detects a load applied to the step 141, and is embedded in the step 141. The load sensor 240 transmits the detection result as a load signal to the control unit 200 in response to a request from the control unit 200.

  The memory 250 is a non-volatile storage medium, and for example, a solid state drive is used. The memory 250 stores various parameter values, functions, lookup tables, and the like used for control, in addition to the control program for controlling the traveling device 100. The memory 250 stores a conversion table 251 that converts the rotation angle θ into a target speed.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation angle θ and the target speed as an example of the conversion table 251 for converting the rotation angle θ into the target speed. As shown in the figure, the target speed is expressed as a linear function of the rotation angle θ, and is set so that the target speed increases as the rotation angle θ increases. The target speed is 0 at the minimum angle θ _MIN (degrees), and the target speed is the maximum speed V _m (km / h) at the maximum angle θ _MAX (degrees). Thus, the conversion table 251 may be in a function format.

  FIG. 6 is a table showing the relationship between the rotation angle θ and the target speed as another example of the conversion table 251 for converting the rotation angle θ into the target speed. In the example of FIG. 5, the continuously changing target speed is associated with the continuously changing rotation angle θ. In the example of FIG. 6, the continuously changing rotation angle θ is divided into a plurality of groups, and one target speed is associated with each group.

As illustrated, the rotation angle theta is, theta when it is more than theta less than _{1 MIN} associated target speed 0 (km / h), the target speed 5.0 is less than theta ₁ or θ ₂ (km / h) in correspondence, and when θ ₂ or more and less than θ ₃ , target speed 10.0 (km / h) is associated, and when θ ₃ or more and θ _MAX or less, target speed 15.0 (km / h) Associate. The conversion table 251 in such a case can adopt a lookup table format. In this way, when the target speed is associated with the range of the rotation angle θ that has a certain width, the target speed does not change little by little due to the shaking of the body of the user 900, for example. I can expect. Of course, hysteresis may be given to the boundary of the range, and if the boundary of the range is made different between acceleration and deceleration, a smoother speed change can be expected.

  The association between the rotation angle θ and the target speed is not limited to the examples in FIGS. 5 and 6, and various associations are possible. For example, it is possible to arrange such that the change amount of the target speed with respect to the change amount of the rotation angle θ is set small in the low speed region and large in the high speed region. In this embodiment, since the rotation angle θ has a one-to-one correspondence with the WB length, the conversion table 251 that associates the rotation angle θ, which is a parameter, with the target speed is employed, but as originally intended, You may employ | adopt the conversion table which matches WB length with target speed. In this case, the conversion angle may be referred to after converting the rotation angle θ acquired from the rotation angle sensor 134 into the WB length using the above function.

  Next, the traveling process in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing during travel. The flow starts when the power switch is turned on and a signal with a load is received from the load sensor 240, that is, when the user 900 gets on board.

  In step S101, the control unit 200 acquires a rotation angle signal from the rotation angle sensor 134 and calculates the current rotation angle θ. In step S102, the calculated rotation angle θ is applied to the conversion table 251 read from the memory 250, and the target speed is set.

  After setting the target speed, the control unit 200 proceeds to step S103 and transmits an acceleration / deceleration drive signal to the drive unit 210. Specifically, first, a speed signal is received from the vehicle speed sensor 220 and the current speed is confirmed. If the target speed is larger than the current speed, a driving signal for accelerating is transmitted to the driving unit 210, and if the target speed is smaller than the current speed, a driving signal for decelerating is transmitted to the driving unit 210.

  The control unit 200 monitors whether the rotation angle θ has changed during acceleration / deceleration, that is, whether the user 900 has tilted the handle 115 back and forth (step S104). If it is determined that the rotation angle θ has changed, the process starts again from step S101. If it is determined that there is no change, the process proceeds to step S105. When the conversion table as shown in FIG. 6 is employed, it is determined that the rotation angle θ has not changed while remaining in one range.

  In step S105, the control unit 200 receives a speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 220, and determines whether or not the target speed has been reached. If it is determined that the target speed has not been reached, the process returns to step S103 to continue acceleration / deceleration. If it is determined that the target speed has been reached, the process proceeds to step S106. In step S106, it is confirmed whether or not the target speed is zero. If the target speed is 0, the traveling device 100 is stopped at the time of step S106. Otherwise, since the vehicle is traveling at the target speed, the control unit 200 transmits a drive signal to the drive wheel unit 210 so as to maintain the travel at the speed (step S107).

  The control unit 200 also monitors whether the rotation angle θ has changed, that is, whether the user 900 has tilted the handle 115 back and forth while traveling at a constant speed in step S107 (step S108). If it is determined that the rotation angle θ has changed, the process returns to step S101. If it is determined that there is no change, the process returns to step S107 to continue constant speed running.

  If it is confirmed in step S106 that the target speed is 0, the process proceeds to step S109, and it is determined from the load signal received from the load sensor 240 whether the user 900 has moved down. If it is determined that the user 900 is not getting off, that is, there is a load, the process returns to step S101 to continue the traveling control. If it is determined that the aircraft has been removed, the series of processes is terminated.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the traveling device 600 according to the second embodiment during low speed traveling, and FIG. 9 is a top schematic view of the traveling device 600 in the state of FIG. In FIG. 9, the user 900 indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 8 is omitted. The traveling device 600 is a kind of personal mobility, like the traveling device 100 of the first embodiment, and is an electric mobile vehicle that is assumed to be boarded by a user. Elements having the same functions as those of the traveling device 100 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

  The traveling device 100 according to the first embodiment connects the front wheel support member 110 and the rear wheel support member 120 via a hinge joint 132 as a mechanism for adjusting the WB lengths of the front wheel 101 and the rear wheel 102, and relatively connects them. Adopted a mechanism to rotate. Then, the user 900 adjusts the WB length by tilting the handle 115 back and forth to apply his own force. The traveling device 600 in the second embodiment is provided as a mechanism for adjusting the WB length of the front wheel 101 and the rear wheel 102 so as to be interposed between the front wheel support member 110 and the main body 122 functioning as the rear wheel support member. A mechanism for expanding and contracting the stretchable rod 610 is employed. The telescopic rod 610 expands and contracts when an actuator (not shown) is driven by a control signal from the control unit 200.

  The telescopic rod 610 has a structure in which a plurality of hollow connecting rods having different diameters are arranged in a nested manner, and each connecting rod can be displaced from a contracted state to an extended state or from an extended state to a contracted state. Therefore, the control unit 200 can lengthen or shorten the WB length stepwise according to the number of connecting rods.

The swivel joint 131 is fixed at a position near one end to which the fork 112 is fixed in the front column 111 constituting the front wheel support member 110. Furthermore, pivot joint 131 is pivoted in a bearing portion 621 that constitute the coupler 620, the extending direction parallel to the pivot axis _{T A} around the front pillar 111, relative rotation between the bearing portion 621. The coupler 620 includes a connection portion 622 in addition to the bearing portion 621, and the bearing portion 621 and the connection portion 622 are integrally formed. The connection portion 622 is a columnar member that extends substantially parallel to the front column 111 and supports the accommodation box 630 on the other end side opposite to the one end side on which the bearing portion 621 is provided.

  The storage box 630 fixes and supports the tip of the thinnest connecting rod among the connecting rods constituting the extendable rod 610, and extends and contracts so as to cover at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the connecting rod that is nested when contracted. The rod 610 is accommodated. The rear end portion of the thickest connecting rod among the connecting rods constituting the telescopic rod 610 is fixedly supported by the main body portion 122.

  In the traveling device 600, the right grip constituting the handle 115 is configured as an acceleration / deceleration grip 616. The acceleration / deceleration grip 616 can be rotated forward and backward about the axis of the handle 116 in the extending direction. When the user 900 is rotated forward, an acceleration signal is transmitted. 200.

  The traveling device 600 receives an acceleration / deceleration instruction from the user via the acceleration / deceleration grip 616 and adjusts the speed. Then, the WB length is adjusted by expanding / contracting the telescopic rod 610 according to the speed. FIG. 8 shows how the WB length is shortened during low-speed traveling. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a traveling device 600 similar to that in FIG. 8, but shows a state in which the WB length is increased during high-speed traveling.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 200 controls the drive wheel unit 210 in accordance with an acceleration / deceleration instruction from the user 900, and first changes the speed of the traveling device 600. Then, the WB length is adjusted by expanding / contracting the telescopic rod 610 according to the changed speed. That is, the WB length is associated with the speed, and when the current speed changes, the telescopic rod 610 is expanded and contracted so as to become the WB length set accordingly. In other words, when the user 900 changes the speed, the WB length is adjusted according to the speed.

  Even in such a configuration, the WB length is shortened when traveling at a low speed, so that a small turn is effective. That is, it can move around in a narrow place. On the contrary, since the WB length becomes longer during high speed traveling, traveling stability, in particular, straight traveling performance is improved. That is, even if the vehicle travels at a high speed, it is difficult to receive a swing due to a step on the road surface. Further, since the speed and the WB length change in conjunction with each other, the WB length does not become long although the speed is low, and the movement can be performed with the minimum necessary projection area at the speed. That is, the area on the road surface required for traveling device 600 to move is small, and no extra space is required. This is particularly effective when parked. In addition, if the user 900 rotates the acceleration / deceleration grip 616 back and forth, both the speed and the WB length can be changed in conjunction with each other, so that the driving operation is simple and easy.

  FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of the traveling apparatus 600 according to the second embodiment. Functional blocks having the same functions as those of the traveling device 100 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the acceleration / deceleration grip 616 transmits an acceleration signal to the control unit 200 when it detects a forward rotation and detects a rear rotation. The rotation amount may also be detected, and the acceleration / deceleration amount per unit time may be changed.

  The WB adjustment mechanism 230 includes a telescopic rod 610 and a drive circuit and an actuator for expanding and contracting the telescopic rod 610. The control unit 200 performs expansion / contraction control of the expansion / contraction rod 610 by sending a drive signal to the WB adjustment mechanism 230. The memory 250 stores a conversion table 651 for converting the current speed into a corresponding WB length.

FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the speed and the WB length as an example of the conversion table 651 for converting the current speed into the corresponding WB length. As shown in the figure, the WB length is expressed as a step function of speed, and the WB length is set to increase stepwise as the speed increases. When the speed is 0 or more and less than 5.0 (km / h), the WB length is the minimum value T ₀ (mm), but the speed is 5.0 (km / h) or more and less than 10.0 (km / h). WB length when it is _T is greater than _{0 T} 1 (mm), WB length when the speed is less than 10.0 (km / h) or more 15.0 (km / h) than _{T 1} When the large T ₂ (mm) is 15.0 (km / h) or more and 20.0 (km / h) or less, the WB length is associated with the longest T ₃ (mm). The maximum speed is limited to 20.0 (km / h).

  The association between the speed and the WB length is not limited to this example, and various associations are possible. For example, if the length of the telescopic rod 610 can be adjusted continuously, it can be associated with a linear function. It is also possible to arrange such that the amount of change in the WB length with respect to the amount of change in speed is set small in the low speed region and large in the high speed region.

  Next, the traveling process in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing processing during traveling. The flow starts when the power switch is turned on and a signal with a load is received from the load sensor 240, that is, when the user 900 gets on board.

  In step S201, the control unit 200 detects the rotation of the acceleration / deceleration grip 616. That is, an acceleration signal or a deceleration signal is received from the acceleration / deceleration grip 616. In step S202, an acceleration signal is transmitted to the drive unit 210 when an acceleration signal is received, and a deceleration drive signal is transmitted when a deceleration signal is received.

  When the acceleration / deceleration process is started, the control unit 200 receives a speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 220 and checks the current speed (step S203). In step S204, the confirmed current speed is applied to the conversion table 651 read from the memory 250, and it is determined whether or not the WB length needs to be adjusted. If it is determined that there is no need to adjust, the process returns to step S201. If it is determined that adjustment is necessary, the process proceeds to step S205.

  In step S205, the control unit 200 transmits a drive signal to the WB adjustment mechanism 230, expands and contracts the telescopic rod 610, and adjusts the WB length associated with the current speed. Then, the process proceeds to step S206 to check whether or not the current speed is zero. If the current speed is not 0, the process returns to step S201. If the current speed is 0, the process proceeds to step S207.

  In step S207, the control unit 200 determines from the load signal received from the load sensor 240 whether the user 900 has got off the vehicle. If it is determined that the user 900 is not getting off, that is, there is a load, the process returns to step S201 to continue the traveling control. If it is determined that the aircraft has been removed, the series of processes is terminated.

  In the traveling device 600 according to the second embodiment described above, the acceleration / deceleration grip 616 is employed as an instruction member for the user 900 to instruct acceleration / deceleration. However, the type of the instruction member is not limited thereto. For example, a button or lever may be used. Further, an acceleration instruction member and a deceleration instruction member may be provided separately. For example, a brake lever may be employed as the deceleration instruction member.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of a traveling apparatus 700 according to the third embodiment. The traveling device 700 is obtained by adding an additional function to be used when the user 900 gets off to the traveling device 100 in the first embodiment. Therefore, since traveling device 700 has all the elements and functions of traveling device 100 in principle, the elements and functions related to the additional functions will be described.

  The traveling device 700 includes a tow string 710 whose one end is secured to a securing portion 712 provided on the fork 112. The tow string 710 is made of a string member such as a wire or a chain. The tow string 710 has an annular grip ring 711 at the other end so that the user 900 can easily grip it. When the user 900 is not towed, the tow string 710 is accommodated by hooking a grip ring 711 on a hook hook 721 provided in the vicinity of the handle 115 as shown by a dotted line. Further, a connecting hook 722 is provided at the rear end of the main body 122.

  The user 900 can move the traveling device 700 by pulling the tow string 710 in a situation in which the traveling device 700 gets off the traveling device 700 and carries the traveling device 700 to a parking place. The traveling device 700 is a static stable vehicle that can stand on its own by one front wheel 101 and two rear wheels 102. When the user 900 pulls the tow string 710, the traveling device 700 follows the direction.

In the traveling device 700, the front wheel support member 110 and the rear wheel support member 120 urged to each other by the urging spring 133 are configured to be rotatable around the hinge axis _HA , so that the user 900 pulls the traction string 710. Depending on the force, the angle formed by the front wheel support member 110 and the rear wheel support member 120 changes, and the WB length changes. As described in the first embodiment, since the speed is associated with the rotation angle θ that is an angle formed by the front wheel support member 110 and the rear wheel support member 120, the user 900 pulls the pulling string 710. Is adjusted, the traveling device 700 can be independently driven in the pulling direction and its speed can be adjusted.

  In addition, since the tow string 710 is a string-like member, the tow string 710 sags when the speed of the traveling device 700 increases to catch up with the user 900 in a situation where the user 900 pulls the traveling device 700 while walking. become. When the traction string 710 is slack, the traction force is not transmitted to the front wheel support member 110, and therefore the rotation angle θ is reduced by the action of the biasing spring 133. That is, the speed of the traveling device 700 automatically decreases. Therefore, the user 900 can comfortably follow with a small force even when the traveling device 700 is heavy.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a plurality of traveling devices 700 are connected and pulled. The traveling device 700 includes the connection hook 722 at the rear end of the main body 122 as described above. If the user 900 hooks the grip ring 711 of the following traveling device 700 on the connection hook 722 of the preceding traveling device 700, the two traveling devices 700 can be connected by the tow string 710. Similarly, it can be connected to three or four units. The figure shows a state in which three traveling devices 700 are connected.

Then, when the user 900 pulls the grip ring 711 of the leading travel device 700, the user 900 can move the connected travel devices 700 together. Since each of the traction straps 710 that connect the two traveling devices 700 that are in front and rear is subjected to the same tensile force in principle, the respective rotation angles θ _α of the traveling devices 700 are the same as each other and are therefore coupled. The traveling speed of the traveling device 700 is the same. Even if there is a difference in tensile force due to unevenness on the road surface, the following vehicle with a large rotation angle θ tries to catch up with the preceding vehicle, while the preceding vehicle with a small rotation angle θ decreases the speed and follows Since waiting for the vehicle to follow, the speed adjustment as a whole is automatically performed.

  FIG. 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation angle θ applied to the traveling device 700 and the target speed. When the user 900 pulls the tow string 710 to move the traveling device 700, it is often considered that the user 900 wants to move the traveling device 700 at a relatively slow speed as compared to the case where the user travels while riding. Therefore, the target speed associated with the rotation angle θ when towing with the tow string 710 is set so as not to exceed the target speed when riding and traveling. The example in the figure is an example.

As shown in the figure, if the setting when boarding and running is set to linearly change from 0 to V _m (km / h) in the range of θ _MIN to θ _MAX (degrees), the correspondence when towing The setting is set to change linearly from 0 to V _m / 2 (km / h) in the same range. That is, the slope of the linear function is ½. If such association is determined, for example, when the vehicle is pulled and moved to the parking space after getting off, handling becomes easy.

Note that the association between the rotation angle θ and the target speed is not limited to the example in FIG. 16, and various associations are possible. As shown in FIG. 6, when the continuously changing rotation angle θ is divided into a plurality of groups and each target speed is associated with each other, the speed is 0 at both the minimum range θ _{MIN and} less than θ _1. Can be associated. Further, if the target speed for boarding and traveling is not exceeded, the speed for towing may be constant regardless of the rotation angle θ. As in the first embodiment, a conversion table that associates the WB length with the target speed may be employed.

  In the third embodiment described above, the configuration in which the traveling device 700 is pulled by the tow string 710 is adopted. However, as long as the WB length can be adjusted in the lowered state, not only the string member but also various operation members. Can be adopted. For example, a ring or a handle may be used. Further, the attachment position is not limited to the fork 112, and for example, the attachment position may be directly attached to the rotation shaft of the front wheel 101. Furthermore, it is not limited to the towing type, but may be a type in which the traveling device 700 is pushed from the rear. For example, a push-down lever extending rearward from the front column 111 may be provided, and the user 900 may get off and press the lever forward from the rear while pushing the lever forward so that the WB length may be increased. . Further, if a configuration in which the force pulled by the pulling member is detected by the force sensor and the WB length is adjusted according to the magnitude is adopted, the present invention can also be applied to the traveling device 600 shown as the second embodiment. In this case, acceleration / deceleration is also performed according to the traction force detected by the force angle sensor. Therefore, in addition to the conversion table 251, a table that associates the traction force with the WB length or a table that associates the traction force with acceleration / deceleration may be set in advance.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 17 is a schematic side view of a traveling apparatus 800 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 17 (a) shows the parking state, and FIG. 17 (b) shows the traveling state. The traveling device 800 is obtained by adding an additional function at the time of parking to the traveling device 100 in the first embodiment. Therefore, since traveling device 800 has all the elements and functions of traveling device 100 in principle, the elements and functions related to the additional functions will be described.

  The traveling device 800 includes a support bar 811 and a link bar 812 that form a node of the link mechanism together with the front column 111 and the rear column 121. One end of the support bar 811 is rotatably supported on the fork 112, and one end of the link bar 812 is rotatably supported on the rear column 121. The other end of the link bar 812 is rotatably supported in the middle of the support bar 811. By such a link mechanism, when the rotation angle θ that is an angle formed by the front column 111 and the rear column 121 is increased, the angle formed by the support bar 811 and the link bar 812 is also increased.

A stopper 810 is fixed to the other end of the support bar 811. The stopper 810 contacts the rotation surface of the rear wheel 102 when the rotation angle θ is θ _MIN that minimizes the rotation angle θ. Of the stopper 810, a contact surface that contacts the rotating surface of the rear wheel 102 is formed of a member having a high friction coefficient (for example, a rubber member). Therefore, when the traveling device 800 is parked, the stopper 810 comes into contact with the rotating surface of the rear wheel 102 to suppress the rotation of the rear wheel 102. In other words, the traveling device 800 is less likely to be swept by the wind when parked and start to move on its own. Further, during traveling, the stopper 810 is separated from the rear wheel 102 by the action of the link mechanism, so that the traveling is not hindered. Moreover, it is also effective in that no electric power is consumed as compared with a device that suppresses the rotation of a wheel by an electromagnetic brake.

In the above-described example, the configuration in which the stopper 810 is brought into contact with the rotation surface of the rear wheel 102 by the link mechanism is adopted, but the specific configuration is not limited thereto. Any configuration can be adopted as long as it is a stopper that contacts the rotating element so as to regulate the rotation of at least one of the front wheel 101 and the rear wheel 102 in conjunction with the operation of the adjusting mechanism that shortens the WB length. For example, a stopper may be provided at the tip of the ring bar 812 so as to contact the rotating surface of the front wheel 101 when parking. Further, the rotation prevention pin is not limited to a stopper that suppresses rotation by frictional force, for example, a rotation prevention pin protrudes from the front wheel support member 110 side. When θ _MIN is reached, the rotation prevention pin is inserted into an engagement hole provided in the axle 103. Thus, the configuration may be such that the axle 103 cannot rotate. These stoppers suppress the rotation of the wheel by maintaining contact with the rotating element associated with the wheel during parking.

  Moreover, the structure provided with the stopper which contacts a driving | running | working surface in connection with operation | movement of the adjustment mechanism in which WB length becomes short may be sufficient. In this case, for example, in the example of FIG. 17A, the stopper 810 may be attached downward (toward the road surface) at the other end of the support bar 811. At this time, the contact surface with the road surface of the stopper 810 is preferably a flat surface.

  Moreover, although the traveling device 800 is based on the traveling device 100, a similar function may be added based on the traveling device 600. For example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the stopper contacts the front wheel 101 in conjunction with the operation of the telescopic rod 610 contracting.

  Although the embodiments have been described above, the traveling device may not be a self-supporting static stable vehicle as long as the additional functions described in the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment are not added. If the vehicle has at least front wheels and rear wheels in the traveling direction, the traveling devices in the first and second embodiments can be realized. Further, the front wheel and the rear wheel may not be wheels, and may be grounding elements such as a spherical wheel and a crawler. Further, the traveling device may not be configured to be steered by turning the steering wheel, and may be configured to be turned by, for example, moving the weight of the user 900. The power source for driving the drive wheels is not limited to a motor, and may be a gasoline engine or the like.

100 traveling device, 101 front wheel, 102 rear wheel, 103 axle, 110 front wheel support member, 111 front column, 112 fork, 115 handle, 120 rear wheel support member, 121 rear column, 122 main body, 131 swing joint, 132 hinge Joint, 133 Energizing spring, 134 Rotation angle sensor, 141 step, 200 Control unit, 210 Drive wheel unit, 220 Vehicle speed sensor, 230 WB adjustment mechanism, 240 Load sensor, 250 Memory, 251 Conversion table, 600 Travel device, 610 Expansion / contraction Rod, 616 Acceleration / deceleration grip, 620 Coupler, 621 Bearing part, 622 Connection part, 630 Storage box, 651 Conversion table, 700 Traveling device, 710 Tow string, 711 Grip ring, 712 Locking part, 721 Locking hook, 722 Connecting hook, 8 0 traveling device, 810 stopper 811 supporting bars, 812 link bar, 900 users

Claims (8)

A traveling device that has at least a front wheel and a rear wheel with respect to the traveling direction and that the user rides and travels,
A front wheel support member for rotatably supporting the front wheel;
A rear wheel support member for rotatably supporting the rear wheel;
An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the wheel base length of the front wheel and the rear wheel by changing the relative position of the front wheel support member and the rear wheel support member by the operation force of the user ;
A drive unit for driving at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel ;
A control unit that drives the drive unit using the speed of the traveling device associated with the adjusted wheel base length as a target speed when the user operates the adjustment mechanism to adjust the wheel base length; <br/>
Wherein said wheel base length that is adjusted by the adjustment mechanism, and the rate achieved by the drive of the drive unit, the travel device where the velocity as the wheel base length increases are associated with each other so as to increase. The front wheel support member has a handle for the user to hold,
The rear wheel support member includes a step for the user to board;
The adjustment mechanism has a hinge that relatively rotates the front wheel support member and the rear wheel support member,
The user rotates the front wheel support member and the rear wheel support member relative to each other around the hinge by changing at least one of a weight applied to the handle and a weight applied to the step. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the base length is adjusted. The adjustment mechanism has a biasing member that biases in a direction to reduce a relative angle between the front wheel support member and the rear wheel support member,
The traveling device according to claim 2 , wherein the wheel base length when the relative angle is minimized by the action of the biasing member is associated with zero of the speed. The traveling device can stand on its own by a grounding member including the front wheel and the rear wheel,
The traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising an operation member capable of adjusting the wheel base length by operating the adjustment mechanism in a state where the user has descended from the traveling device. The operation member includes a string-like member having one end attached to the front wheel support member and the other end pulled by the user,
The travel device according to claim 4 , wherein the rear wheel support member has a locking portion for locking the other end side of the string-like member of another travel device. Correspondence between the wheel base length and the speed when adjusting the wheel base length without using the operating member, and the wheel base length and speed when adjusting the wheel base length using the operating member Are different from each other,
For the same wheel base length, the speed when adjusting the wheel base length using the operating member should not exceed the speed when adjusting the wheel base length without using the operating member. The traveling device according to claim 4 or 5 , which is associated with the traveling device. In conjunction with the operation of the adjustment mechanism that shortens the wheel base length, a stopper that contacts the rotating element so as to regulate the rotation of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel,
The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the stopper keeps contact with the rotating element while the travel device is parked. In conjunction with the operation of the adjustment mechanism that shortens the wheelbase length, a stopper that contacts the running surface,
The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the stopper maintains contact with the travel surface during parking of the travel device.

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